Upgrade your job

So, apparently I send a lot of email about people trying to get cool jobs. Here’s yet
another email I sent to a friend, recorded here.

Hi [redacted],

First I want to highlight is that flexible/remote jobs are
just like normal jobs, but more people want them, so the companies can be
highly selective in their hiring.

So, it is quite possible that your
next job will be (and should be) a “normal” 9-5, where you’re in the same office as everyone else.

This company may not be particularly progressive or innovative (however you’d define those) but it could be a perfect playground to build your own personal portfolio of incredible work. You could spend a year at a company, do great things, and then take those things to
another company that allows all the travel and flexible work.

A really good book (
So Good They Can’t Ignore You, I recommend reading this ASAP) explains this as “career capital”. You have to gain career capital to “turn it in” for a good job. Most people want a good job, but most people don’t have any career capital.

At your next job, whatever it is, you should relentlessly pursue this career capital. You’ll then be in a position to do exactly what you want to do next.

I forgot to tell you the most significant part of what I learned when trying to pick up a kick-ass job.

It all started clicking when I stumbled across a guy named Ramit Sethi.

Far and away, he’s the most influential person on me and the work that I do. Everything that I say that companies like I’ve basically lifted from him.

He talks about many things, but the relevant bits that I started with were “Natural Networking” and “Interviewing”

Here’s a long list of links. I’d set aside 30 mins and look over stuff, then dig deeper into what he has to say. Seriously. Everything is gold. Your “this guy is scammy” radar should be going off because of the URL and titles he uses, but read/watch.